


If Only “What the King Says Goes” was a Reality...

by nunaseaweed



Series: one-shot trash [2]
Category: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger
Genre: Bodygaurd!Dex, Bodygaurd!Marella, Bodygaurd!Tam, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fitzphie and Dexiana are mostly background, Fluff, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Kam centered, King!Keefe, Kissing, M/M, Mentions of incest, Modern Royalty, Prince!Fitz, Princess!Biana, based off a kdrama scene, none tho, oop so linh like isnt in this sorry, princess!Sophie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:13:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27410989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nunaseaweed/pseuds/nunaseaweed
Summary: Keefe’s father had died months ago, leading to him hurriedly taking the throne and throwing the royal court into absolute chaos. Apparently, everyone’s solution was a queen. And the only person fit enough for him to marry was Biana. His cousin.Not only did that make them both want to hurl, but was also quite problematic considering Biana was secretly dating Dex, who was appointed as her bodyguard not too long ago and had not a drop of noble blood in his veins (oh so scandalous!) and Keefe was...somewhat involved with his own personal bodyguard and head of security, Tam. Though not even their friends knew about the last part. That would’ve been more than scandalous.
Relationships: Dex Dizznee/Biana Vacker, Keefe Sencen/Tam Song, Sophie Foster/Fitz Vacker
Series: one-shot trash [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1956082
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	If Only “What the King Says Goes” was a Reality...

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own these beautiful characters, however all the dirty jokes, fluff, and the tiny bit of plot are all mine.  
> Notes:  
> -Ok so modern Royalty. Keefe is King. His dad’s younger sister is Della, making the Vacker’s his cousins. Tam is his bodyguard, Marella is Fitz’s bodyguard, and Dex is Biana’s bodyguard. Linh is a diplomat. Sophie became a princess by marrying Fitz.  
> -Since the Sencen’s have been in control this entire time, you know how Cassius is *eye roll*, Royalty can only marry people who had noble blood back in the olden days, which not one of their friends but Sophie had. Also, Cassius is anti-gay (great, I’m anti-Cassius!) and brainwashed society into going along with both of those rules.  
> -Great thing! Cassius is dead. :) It’s been half a year since Keefe’s coronation. Della’s a jerk. Fitz literally thinks she has dementia because of how stupid she’s being. Gisela dipped when Keefe was 13, we have no idea where Alden is.  
> Soapy: FREAKING ALDEN!!!  
> Me: he didn’t do anything wrong  
> Soapy: NO! FREAKING ALDEN!  
> Me: maybe he’s dead, maybe he’s in a different country or maybe-  
> Soapy: OR MAYBE FREAKING ALDEN!!  
> Me: *sobbing laughing*  
> Soapy: why are you crying? Was it freaking Alden again? *scribbles angrily* Freaking Alden.  
> Me: *sobs some more*  
> -So those rules cause problems. Because Biana and Dex are dating (only their friends know) but they can’t be public because of the noble blood law. Also, Tam and Keefe are...involved. If you know what I mean *wink wink* the thing is THEY don’t even know what they’re doing. So uhhhh, we’re all idiots here!  
> -Also, lots of things are implied, but you don’t have to care cuz either way the story works lol. I just can’t help myself. ;)  
> -They’re all adults, mid-twenties.  
> -Currently writing: Update! I gave Keefe abandonment issues without noticing! Haha... *sweats nervously*  
> -Currently writing: The bootiful ending scene is proudly brought to you by the ‘skoo!’ in UGH!  
> -So I wrote the last scene so well for a last scene, but there could be more done here. So if it does well I’ll do a part two! ENJOY

“As you very well know, the Royal Court is more unstable than ever,” Princess Della started, flicking her hand toward her nephew, who nodded. “Your father’s not-so-sudden death and your coronation shook the entire country, but lots of people think they’ve found a solution.”

“Do they?” Keefe questioned, making eye contact with his cousin and the blonde sitting on the other boy’s left. “I thought Sophie and Fitz’s marriage took care of that problem.”

“Another princess in the court did help,” Della agreed, referring to her son’s wedding a couple of months ago. “But as you know, there’s still an empty important seat of power.”

“You’re talking about a Queen?” Sophie realized, eyes wide. “Who?”

“Well that’s the tricky part, all the nobles daughters are married by now, and there aren’t very many trustworthy princesses from other kingdoms to consider-“ Della started.

Keefe cut her off quickly, “Perfect, I don’t want to get married.”

Della frowned, “King Sencen, you always knew you might have to marry for political reasons. I think you need to remind yourself of that. As does Biana.”

Biana scoffed, “What? Why do I have to-” She cut herself off, seeing her mother’s tight-lipped smile. “Wait...you aren’t suggesting...”

Keefe and Biana made eye contact from across the table. “I’m sorry,  _ what _ ?!” Keefe yelled. “We’re cousins!”

“It’s the best thing for the country.”

“Mom! We’re related! Do you hear yourself?!” Fitz asked, teal eyes threatening to jump out of his head.

“No! This isn’t happening-what the hell?!” Biana screeched, standing up from her seat.

“Yes, it is. The press already wrote a paper to release at five P.M. This will fix most of the political problems we’re having, it’s very beneficial for the country,” Princess Della explained.

“You aren’t even giving us a choice?” Keefe asked, bewildered.

Sophie came to his rescue, “Princess, all due respect, but don’t you think this is a little brash?”

“I appreciate your concern Sophie, but it’s the only thing we can do.”

“No, it isn’t! There isn’t any need for there to be a Queen!” Biana reasoned.

“There  _ really _ isn’t any reason,” Keefe quickly agreed.

“It doesn’t matter whether you can see it or not. We’ve already made the decision and wrote the paper, you can take it like royalty or like babies.”

“Oh, so now we get an option?” Biana asked, fuming. “Fine then. I’m going to my room, don’t bother calling me for lunch.”

“Biana...” Della sighed as the door swept shut behind her daughter. She turned toward Keefe, expecting either a worse outburst or a civilized agreement.

Keefe stilled his breath to look his aunt in the eyes. “Princess, I may have a duty to my kingdom as King, but Biana does not. She’s a second-born’s child. This shouldn’t be affecting her at all. And we’re cousins. I don’t see how you could have actually thought this through. So if you excuse me, I’m also leaving. _ Please _ , don’t call me. For anything.”

The king stood up and spun on his heel, keeping his rigid posture until he reached the hall, Sophie on his heels. She quickly stood on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck. 

“I’m sorry hon. I don’t know if I can do anything but I’ll try,” she whispered, hand messing with the tip of his hair in front of his crown. Keefe blinked back tears, nodding into her hair. Sophie had been one of his best friends since childhood. Of course, she was gonna try, but it was comforting to hear it too.

Sophie pecked his cheek and went back to her husband and mother in law, who were arguing inside. “You can’t expect me to defend you, Mom! They’re cousins, we’re related! I-Wha-” Fitz sighed. “Are you okay?!” 

The door closed before Keefe could hear the answer. 

He turned the corner of the hall, stumbling straight into his bodyguard. Tam quickly glanced around the hall, making sure no one was around them before the rigidness left his shoulders and he enveloped Keefe in a hug.

“Hey,” he whispered, softly tilting the king’s chin up towards him. “What happened?”

“I-” Keefe looked up, seeing the genuine concern in Tam’s eyes and melting. Whatever was going on between them...he didn’t want to ruin it. And this would ruin  _ everything _ . “Just come back to my room and cuddle with me? Please?”

Tam nodded, stroking the back of Keefe’s head and quickly looking around again before letting go and leading him behind the corner. They walked quickly down the halls, Keefe only a few paces behind his bodyguard so as to not get confused looks from palace workers. The tension left Tam’s shoulders as soon as Keefe’s door clicked shut.

Keefe had always admired that about Tam. The way he was able to put up the tough rock wall behavior when anyone but Keefe and his friends were around, and how quickly he let go when it was just them. Keefe loved normal Tam, but normal Tam apparently wasn’t scary enough to murders. Still, ever since they were sixteen and Tam was appointed, Keefe found himself loving the moments where Tam let go of his chilly facade more than anything else.

And in the past half a year, Keefe had learned that there were levels to how touchy Tam was. A simple hug, hand squeeze, shoulder nudge, knees touching, was acceptable around their friends. But ever since King Cassius had passed, the second Keefe and Tam were alone, it became apparent how clingy he really was. And it wasn’t always kisses either, (though that was a big part of it). Resting his head on Keefe’s shoulder, fingers trailing up his arms and spine, nose nuzzling his neck and shoulders, hands in his uncrowned hair, legs swung over or wrapped around the blonde’s, arms wrapped comfortably around his waist, foreheads touching, hands laced together all the time and whenever Keefe looks down he’s always wondering how and when they got there, but he loves it.  _ So _ much.

Tam threw his jacket onto the chair in the corner of the room as the king set his crown down on the bedside table, then climbed into bed and Keefe curled up behind him, hugging his middle tight as if Tam might run away if he let go. Tam sensed that, turning in his soft grip to face Keefe on the pillows, flicking hair out of his face. 

“Wanna talk about it?” he asked gently, fingers tracing over the small pout Keefe’s lips had formed on accident. 

Keefe took a moment to appreciate that this absolute angel was here, cuddling with him, just because he asked. It wasn’t anywhere near the first time, Tam had been his best friend for as long as he could remember, so he’s sure they used to fall asleep together all the time. But the first time he really remembers was the day his mom left when he was thirteen, curled up by himself under the covers, sobbing until Tam came in without a word and slipped in next to him, holding him until he fell asleep and letting him know he was there. That he was staying. 

And he did. A couple more times over the years, if Keefe really felt hopeless, Tam would crawl in between the sheets and hug him, or let Keefe hug him, just as a gesture of kindness, just to remind Keefe that no matter what, he was staying. But Tam had always been a bit reserved, so Keefe never got anything like that on demand. It hurt him to know the best moments he shared with Tam were blurred by his own tears. But then his dad died and everything changed. 

People had been expecting it for a while, no one liked King Cassius. He enforced the old laws harder than any leader before him, making it apparent that no Sencen, and by extension of his younger sister, no Vacker, would ever marry anyone who wasn’t a noble-born back when those still mattered. And suddenly blood status became a thing again. But no matter how much people hated that, most of them agreed with him that it would keep the bloodline strong. Which was probably why they agreed to Biana and Keefe’s engagement, no matter how bad it sounded.

Either way, a lot of people were fed up with King Cassius’s rule, and someone shot him. But before a single person could breathe out “finally”, Cassius survived for another six months in the hospital before actually biting the dust.

Keefe only realized he was becoming King when his dad actually died. And with that realization, the amount of work, political scuffles, and responsibilities he was being handed became apparent. But there was one positive he could think of. Tam.

He probably would’ve gone to Tam as soon as his father wound up in the hospital, but there was a chance he could’ve gotten out and Keefe wasn’t willing to start something he couldn’t finish. Cassius was always hovering over his shoulder, watching his every step as if he knew Keefe wasn’t going to keep straight, in any matters that is.

But when Cassius finally passed he’d run straight to Tam, and now he was happier than he’d ever been before. Even if they still hadn’t really  _ talked _ about it, the same thing Tam had been telling him for years was true. He wasn’t leaving. Ever.

And this stupid engagement wouldn’t change that. Keefe  _ really _ didn’t want to think about it but in the end, it didn’t really change anything. There was a reason not even their friends knew about...whatever this was. If news broke, it wouldn’t be a scandal like it would be for Biana and Dex. They’re breaking  _ one _ law, one that doesn’t even scientifically make sense. Now Tam and Keefe were breaking  _ two _ laws, one stupid and meaningless, and one that’s been around for hundreds of years and most people in the kingdom actually cared about. It would be  _ bad _ if people knew. 

So really, the engagement didn’t change anything. Because either way, they weren’t going public. Going through with the wedding, from a political standpoint, was the smart thing to do, even if it was purely political.

However, in a personal view, it was  _ horrible _ . For one, they were cousins. And Biana was dating someone! Had been for years! This marriage simply wasn’t fair. Keefe could still remember the nights he and his cousins would sneak out to the palace roof to look at the stars and talk about their futures. Keefe’s only wish was to be a good king, Fitz’s to be successful, and Biana’s to find true love. They bullied her about it then, but now? Now she finally has. And politics was going to ruin it.

Being royalty wasn’t as perfect as it’s thought to be.

“I don’t know…” Keefe answered. All he really wanted to do was snuggle into Tam’s neck and go to sleep. Maybe cry a little.

“You know you can tell me anything right, Honey?” Tam assured, playing with his hair softly and Keefe closed his eyes. The nickname immediately calmed him a little, and he leaned into the touch, thinking. Tam would know in a couple of hours anyway. It was better to hear it from him than a random article.

“They want me to get married.”

Tam’s hand paused for a moment, but he brushed it off quickly and kept stroking Keefe’s hair. “Oh.”

“To Biana.”

“Wait what?” Tam’s hand left his hair now, and Keefe could feel the eyes staring at him through closed lids. “ _ Biana _ ? You’re-”

“Cousins I know,” Keefe agreed, still refusing to open his eyes. “But apparently it's the best thing for the country.”

Tam snorted, “Incest is the best thing for the country?”

“Shut up,” Keefe whined. “I don’t even know at this point, ask Aunt Della.”

“This was  _ her idea _ ?” Tam asked in disbelief. “And what does Biana think of that?”

“She’s more pissed than depressed,” Keefe provided. “Fitz thinks she had dementia.”

“Does she not?”

“Tam!”

“I mean, she’s quite old…”

“ _ Tam _ ,” Keefe laughed, swatting his bodyguard’s chest. “You’re both horrible.”

“I think this situation is horrible.” Keefe tensed, worrying.  _ This was it wasn’t it. They were finally actually having this conversation- _

“Biana has a boyfriend, she shouldn’t be forced into a political marriage.”

Keefe nodded, relieved. He wasn’t ready to talk yet. “Exactly. And Dex is such a great guy, he’d make a great prince!”

“That bloodline law was such a stupid thing to bring back. I’m sure more than half the kingdom doesn’t even actually care,” Tam reasoned.

“You’re right about that,” Keefe agreed, snuggling closer and closing his eyes, “Now will you  _ please _ take a nap with me, Baby?”

Tam dragged his hand back through Keefe’s hair before giving him a kiss on the nose. “Of course Honey.”

Keefe awoke the next morning with an idea and a great source of sudden happiness. 

Said great source of sudden happiness was actually Tam’s head on his chest and his limbs thrown around Keefe like a koala. Tam didn’t usually stay in Keefe’s bed the whole night, just in case they got caught, but Keefe hated waking up alone.  _ Hated  _ it. He could never stop himself from thinking everyone left him and almost bursting into tears every morning. So waking up to Tam wrapped around him like a blanket was always a pleasant, welcome surprise.

As for the idea, he realized how government works. Look, he may have been king, but all of those perks and benefits didn’t come to his mind that quickly unless it was about food. Food was his first priority. 

But Keefe had thought about what Tam had said, how the majority of his citizens didn’t actually care about the bloodline law. And what could he do with the majority? Get the law voted out. That would fix their problem, wouldn’t it? Though he’d still have to avoid getting married…

Someone knocked on the door, causing Tam to jolt up and Keefe to whine at the sudden rush of wind and absence of his blanket.

“Sorry Sire,” a palace worker called, “Princess Della told me to call you for breakfast.”

“Well, you can tell her-” Keefe cut off his insult with a pointed look from Tam. “-that I will not be attending any meals with her today.”

“Alright your highness,” The palace worker called curtly. “Also, congrats on your engagement.” The statement had sounded like a question itself, and Keefe said nothing. Thankfully, the tiny echo of footsteps signaled her departure.

Keefe sighed and flopped his head back on his pillow, looking up to Tam. “Come back here would you? I’m cold.”

Tam only stared at Keefe’s pout for a moment, seemingly making a decision within his own mind and hesitantly lying back down next to him, letting his head roll back onto the blonde’s chest.

“Scared we’ll get caught?” the King asked, rubbing Tam’s shoulder with his thumb and trying to figure out why Tam seemed so stressed.

Tam shook his head slightly, still preoccupied with his own thoughts. “Not really.”

But before Keefe could ask him what was wrong he questioned him. “Are you really just going to avoid her?”

Keefe scoffed. “Yes, yes I am. Until I have an actual plan, I don’t want to see her. In the meantime, Fitz can keep trying to figure out if her problem is medical.”

“Is running from your problems the Kingly thing to do?”

“I’m not running! I’m gently jogging around it.” 

Tam laughed and Keefe couldn’t help smiling at his favorite sound. “No, but really, if you’re untying a knot do you go straight for the center, or the sides?”

“Depends on the knot,” Tam answered, but with Keefe’s look he laughed and surrendered, “The sides, the sides.”

“Exactly. Making a plan is the sides. Confronting my aunt is the center.”

“And making sure Dex and Sophie brought Biana home from the bar in one piece last night is?”

Keefe groaned and sat up, “A priority.”

Turns out Biana did in fact come home in one piece. One,  _ extremely _ hungover, piece. 

It was long after Della had left the dining room that Tam and Keefe finally went down to eat, meeting Sophie, Fitz, and Marella, who were seemingly also avoiding Della, eating brunch. They sat down and joined them, grabbing French toast as the door swung open to a grumpy Biana and a Dex who looked like he’d been dodging minefields all morning. He probably had, figuratively.

“Hey,” Keefe called carefully as Biana flopped down in her chair next to him without taking her glasses and wrapping her arms around a cup of coffee.

“Stop screaming,” she whispered. “Why is everyone screaming?”

Fitz stifled a laugh. “When did you get home last night?” he whispered.

Biana took a long sip of coffee before responding, staring at him through her sunglasses. “You expect me to know? Ask Strawberry.”

Dex smiled as she hummed “Strawberry Blonde” to herself grabbing a bagel. Biana had been calling him Strawberry since they were children. “Around midnight.”

Keefe nodded in acknowledgement. “Any plans for today?”

“I don’t think so,” Sophie answered. “Who wants to just head to the lake and then go grab Linh from the airport later?”

“I thought Linh wasn’t coming home for another two weeks,” Tam stated.

“She wasn’t. She decided to come home early after hearing...the news,” Marella supplied. Tam nodded.

“I’d love to do that,” Keefe piped up, reaching for the french toast by Sophie. “However, I have to write a speech for the middle schoolers. Bullying? Not in my country.”

Fitz smiled. “Keefe actually doing his work? What inspired this?”

Keefe smirked, “How do you know that isn’t just a cover to spend quality time with Tammy? We are best friends you know.”

Tam blushed as Fitz answered, “Honesty? I don’t really care. As long as that speech is ready by Friday.”

“Aww, is Fitzy getting sensitive about being bullied again?” Biana cooed.

The prince turned red as Sophie comforted him, “They only bullied you ‘cuz you were the prettiest, luv.”

“Lying to your husband’s face, Sophie?” Keefe confronted, shaking his head. “Now that’s not very princesslike.”

“Shut up,” Sophie teased.

“Oh! Now you’ve offended the whole country!” Dex announced.

“Sophie, what has gotten into you? You can’t tell the King to shut up!” Tam asked in shock, pretending to be offended.

Sophie only laughed back. “So I take it you’ll both be staying then?”

Keefe nodded, “You guys go have fun. I’ll finish the speech and take Tam to go stare at the sea or something.”

And stare at the sea they did.

The palace was right by the ocean, built on the beach with part of the west wing built  _ on _ the water. Keefe’s study was one of the few rooms on the water, with a glass floor looking onto the crystal blue water and the occasional fish. The room was a half circle, bookcases lining the flat wall, the curved mostly made up of huge windows, and a high ceiling. Six greek columns held up the roof, which had a bunch of modern art and a mini solar system strung beneath it, making it look like they were floating. 

Keefe loved his study, strangely enough. He still held small grudges against parts of his room, simply because his father slept in it, but his study was different. Maybe because he repainted the walls from grey to white, replaced the stupid law and philosophy books with fiction and records of viral tweets, and switched all the kingdom propaganda hanging from the ceiling to planets and pretty looking scraps of metal, but he felt like the room was his own, and never his father’s.

Right outside of the study was a deck, technically a balcony but on the water. There was a swing on it, and that’s where Tam and Keefe sat as they looked over the ocean.

They sat in comfortable silence, music playing over hidden speakers. Keefe was snuggled into Tam’s side, not even bothering to look at the ocean anymore, and the black-haired boy’s heart hurt because he knew the moment couldn’t last. He’d told himself that was the last time spending the night. That he needed to distance himself so it wouldn’t hurt as bad when Keefe got married.

He was going to bring it up as they sat watching the sun set, but now Keefe’s soft snores echoed in his ear and he couldn’t do it. It would only hurt more but he couldn’t do it.

So he let his hands run through the king’s hair and promised himself  _ this _ was the last time, for sure.

“You’ve gotta start wearing this, your highness.” 

Tam held up a bulletproof vest as Keefe glanced up from his desk. “Uh, no.”

The captain of security rolled his eyes, “It’s not a choice.”

“I trust you to keep me safe, Luv. No need to cramp my style,” Keefe mumbled as he straightened out his books. 

“As your personal bodyguard and head of security, I’m ordering you to wear it,” Tam commanded, not flinching under the monarch’s gaze.

“I thought no one was allowed to boss around the king,” he pondered, coming around his desk to stand in front of the shorter boy.

The black-haired boy tried not to focus on Keefe’s die-hard habit of flicking his tongue as he answered, “It’s in your best interest sire.”

“Well, it doesn’t really interest me at all. And shouldn’t interest you either. What was it you said? ‘The fewer clothes the better’?” the blonde recalled, cocking his head and smirking slightly.

Tam’s ears burned at the reminder. “Just wear it,” he pleaded softly, pushing the vest towards the other.

Keefe grabbed his hands on the sides of the vest and leaned in with a heavy stare, causing Tam to lean back without moving his feet. “Would you feel better if I wore it?”

The younger trembled under his gaze. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” The king asked, leaning ever closer.

The bodyguard leaned back in response, biting his lip. “ _ That _ ,” he said again. “It’s wrong.”

“You didn’t think it was wrong a couple of nights ago.”

Keefe’s breath was on his cheek now, fuzzing up his brain as the two voices in his head advised very different things. But he knew where his loyalties lay.

“That-that was different,” he stuttered, eyes cast down. “You’re engaged now. Whatever this is...it has to stop.”

The older leaned back with a huffed sigh, collapsing into the corner of the couch behind him. “Did it ever occur to you I don’t want to marry my cousin?”

Tam frowned and sat down on the couch too, as far away as possible, before answering. “Of course you don’t. But it was never gonna last anyway. Now we have an excuse to stop.”

“What if I don’t want to stop?” Tam’s breath hitched as the king’s arms were suddenly behind his back, holding on to the armrest as he loomed over him. “What if I want whatever this is to keep going...forever?”

Keefe’s face was dangerously close to his, breath too heavy to ignore, and  _ dammit _ Tam had promised himself he wouldn’t let this happen again. He bit his lip again,  _ hard _ , and turned his head before Keefe could keep eyeing his mouth like that.

“Do you really though?” he breathed quietly. Keefe heard, moving his arms to sit up straight, but still close enough that their knees were still touching. He arched an eyebrow in confusion. 

Tam sighed, sitting up straight too. “Did you really mean anything you said...then?” 

Frowning, Keefe picked up the other’s hand, gently stroking his knuckles with his thumb to calm him down. “Of course I did. I still do.” When Tam didn’t look convinced he asked, “What’s this about Tammy?”

Flinching at the nickname, Tam’s eyes fluttered away again, wanting to do anything but hold his king’s stare as he admitted his concern. “You came to me first...right after the news broke. That the king had passed.”

Keefe couldn’t believe what he was hearing as he set his crown down gently on the bookcase behind them. The crown was the one relic Keefe was careful with, and if it wasn’t for the delicate jewels that cost more than Keefe and all his friends individually, he would’ve tossed it around as he did with anything his father had valued. When royalty took off their crowns it was a signal that others weren’t required to call them “Your Highness”, “Sire”, “Your Majesty”, or any of their official titles anymore. When Keefe took off his crown, he wanted to be called anything  _ but _ those.

“Tam,” Keefe cooed, voice breaking. “Baby.” Tam still didn’t offer his gaze, so Keefe cupped his face with his hands and continued. “I’d never use you like that. I came to you right after because, with all the responsibilities and stuff that was going to be pushed on me, there was one good thing I could think of, and that was the fact that no one was stopping me from getting what I wanted anymore. And what I wanted was you.”

“You don’t mean that,” Tam whispered, still not looking at the king.

“Yes, I do,” Keefe insisted. “Baby, please look at me.” Tam finally looked up at him, bottom lip trembling and eyes wet. Keefe’s heart broke just looking at him. “I don’t know what I can do to convince you of that, but I’ll try, and I’ll keep trying. I’ll figure it out if it’s the last thing I do because I love you.”

“Don’t say that! You can’t say that and pretend you actually mean it.” Tam was crying now, pushing Keefe’s hands away from his streaming tears.

Keefe caught the younger’s wrists and swallowed back the pain in his throat. “I  _ do _ mean it.” His voice caught. “Why can’t you believe me?”

“We don’t even know what this is,” Tam whispered hoarsely. “You can’t tell me you love me and expect me to believe you when neither of us even know what this is.”

“You’re right. I can’t. But I do know what I want this to be.” Keefe wiped off Tam’s tears, heart swelling when he didn’t flinch away. “And I do know I love you.” Tam didn’t answer, but he leaned into Keefe’s touch, tears slowing. “Believe me?”

“I want to.” Tam stifled a choked sob. “I really want to. But I can’t, Keefe.”

“Why not, Baby?” Keefe asked, holding Tam’s face closer slightly, brushing his bangs out of his eyes.

Tam tensed and let his eyes flicker away again because  _ god freaking dammit _ Keefe was actually gonna make him say it as if he didn’t already know. As if it wasn’t obvious. 

“This isn’t gonna amount to anything, Keefe.” Keefe’s eyes dropped low as his hands tensed on Tam’s cheeks. “You know that. Even if we let this happen...we can’t do anything. No one can know. No one takes the empty space in court. No one does anything.”

Keefe stilled for a moment because all things and feelings and  _ I love you _ ’s aside, Tam was right. Whatever happened, nothing could ever really happen. Laws his family had kept in place for decades made sure of that. Unless...

“I’ll fix it.”

Tam blinked, “What?”

“I’ll change it all. For you, for us,” Keefe pulled Tam’s face closer to his and kissed his nose before he could object. “I’m the king now. People have to listen to me.”

“It’s not that easy. It’s not like 500 years ago, where anything you say is law. There’s a process for changing laws, one that requires lots of support, and we aren’t even sure if we have any-” Keefe kissed him before he could spiral any further.

He pulled away, resting their foreheads together, whispering, “Then we’ll tell them. And hopefully, they’ll listen. Or we won’t, we’ll do whatever you want to do! Tam please just listen to me. I just want this to be real, whether that means a bunch of political unrest or just freaking leaving, I don’t give a shit. I love you, I want  _ you _ , I-”

It was Tam who pulled their lips together this time, blinking back tears and silently praying that Keefe was right. He pulled them apart softly, mentally giggling at the surprise on his face as his lips left the king’s in their wake. “I want this too. No matter what. I want...whatever this is to keep happening, whether you want to name it or not.”

Keefe cursed under his breath, wiping his lips with his sleeve. “I had something I wanted to give you...it’ll just have to wait till morning. But I do want to name it Tam. Would you like to be my boyfriend?”

Tam couldn’t help laughing at how nervous and hopeful he looked. King Keefe, someone from the Sencen line at all, with that face. It was legendary. “It’s a step up from bodyguard isn’t it?”

Keefe laughed with him before wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling the younger boy close again. Tam let his hands float to the king’s hair as they kissed again, less rushed and worried.

Keefe had barely pulled away before muttering “Shit,” under his breath and putting his hands behind Tam’s back like before, leaning over him to kiss him again. Tam whined as his back hit the cushion and Keefe moved to kiss his jaw.

“The door’s unlocked, anyone could see,” he whispered, but that didn’t stop his hands from tugging at the king’s shirt.

“I know, I know,” Keefe muttered in between kisses lining the younger’s jaw, “Just give me a minute.”

Tam sighed as Keefe dipped down toward his collarbone, “You can’t get caught breaking the law, you’re the king.”

Keefe paused for a moment to look into his boyfriend’s eyes and whisper, “Is it bad that that just makes it even better?”

Tam hit the older’s chest from underneath him as he went back to kissing him. “I hate you.”

“I can see that,” he mumbled, prompting Tam to hit him again.

“Seriously though, we need to go. To your room, if you want.”

Keefe’s eyes sparkled, “Will you stay till morning? You know I hate waking up alone.”

Tam smiled, “It’s already three A.M., I don’t see why not.”

The answering grin made all the trouble they could possibly get in if they didn’t wake up early worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Me: *starts writing* Nobody look at me I'm an idiot *an hour later* I'm the smartest person alive  
> Also Me: *stars homework* I AM A PLETHORA OF KNOWLEDGE *thirty seconds later* nope, dumb as fvck.


End file.
